According to UNESCO “People with low levels of literacy are more likely to earn less and experience poverty or extreme poverty.” Furthermore, children living in disadvantaged communities are less likely to have access to educational materials like books, which are essential tools in developing literacy.

An organization called Build Your Future Today has started the “Books for Cambodia” program to collect books, suitable for children under the age of 15, to be distributed to local school libraries in disadvantaged communities in Siem Reap and Battambang. These donations will help improve the education and lives of over 4,000 of Cambodia’s most vulnerable children.

Some of the Children from Build Your Future Today.

As a key skill for many well-paying jobs, children in Cambodia learn English from a young age, so access to English language books is essential.

Insider Journeys has teamed up with Phare, The Cambodian Circus and Shinta Mani hotel to collect and distribute books in Siem Reap. If you are traveling to Siem Reap - with Insider Journeys or independently - you can drop off any new or used books suitable for children under 15 to the Insider Journeys office or one of these locations.